Share

Drogba fails again at AFCON

Rustenburg - Didier Drogba came up short again at the Africa Cup of Nations in what was likely his last chance to win the title with Ivory Coast.

The Elephants were eliminated after a 2-1 loss to Nigeria on Sunday.

It was a lackluster tournament for the 34-year-old Drogba, who was dropped to the bench after the opener and scored his only goal after returning to the lineup in the team's final group match.

Drogba didn't play poorly on Sunday, but was not able to prevent his team's defeat at Royal Bafokeng Stadium, adding to the disappointment of last year's loss to Zambia in the final.

It isn't clear if Drogba will be back with the national team at the next Africa Cup in two years, when he will be almost 37.

"We had only one goal coming into the tournament and that was to win the Africa Cup of Nations," Ivory Coast coach Sabri Lamouchi said through a translator. "For some of us, it might have been a last chance."

After the final whistle, Drogba got a hug from former Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel and then went around the pitch to console his Ivory Coast teammates.

Drogba had just had the last chance of the match when a long ball was crossed into the area in stoppage time. He had his back to the goal but was still able to head the ball toward the net, sending it over the crossbar without much danger to Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

His other opportunities were in the first half.

The new Galatasaray striker made a nice play inside the area before just missing the net in the 34th and then his free kick shot from outside the area in the 41st struck the wall.

Drogba's only goal of the tournament came late against Algeria, helping start the team's rally to come back from two goals down.

Despite Drogba and several other talented players, this generation has not been able to succeed in the continental tournament. Ivory Coast was trying to reach the semifinals for the fourth time in the last five tournaments, but it hasn't won the cup since 1992. It was runner-up last year and in 2006, losing to Egypt.

Other players in this team who also were left without a title include Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Didier Zakora, Ndri Romaric, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho.

The next goal for Drogba, who has 60 goals in nearly 100 appearances with Ivory Coast, is to try to help the Elephants qualify for the 2014 Soccer World Cup in Brazil. The Ivorians lead Group C of the African qualifying tournament with four points from two matches.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE